Handle for tree-pruners



(No M HANDLE FOR TREE PRUNERS. No. 593,337. g Patented Nov. 9., 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM H. SMITH, OF'OAKVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

HANDLE TREE-PRUNER S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,337, dated November 9, 1897.

Application filed February 5, 1897. Serial No. 622,137. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM 'H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakville, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Handles for Tree- Pruners, of which the following is a specification. o

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in handles for tree-pruners or similar tools.

It is the object of my invention to improve upon handles of the above class by introducing therein in a particular manner a metallic strengthening-strip of special construction, as will hereinafter be more fully explained.

Upon the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, the same numerals of reference denote like or corresponding parts upon the several figures, and of which- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a treepruner the handle of which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 shows an edge elevation of the upper end of a handle embodying my invention, together with the head of the pruner Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 2, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a detail elevation of the strengtheningstrip which is embedded within the handle.

Heretofore tool-handles of the above class have invariably shown a weakness at the upper end thereof, adjacent to the connection of the crooked metallic head. As will be obvious from reference to Fig. 1, when the tool is used the greatest strain comes upon the handle at this point, owing to the blade'connections, which have a tendency to draw the latter down and the head backward.

I have overcome the objections above noted, as will fully appear by the construction shown in the several figures of the drawings, and which will now be described.

The tree-pruner referred to is shown complete in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and consists of a wooden handle 1, having a curved metal head 2 attached to the upper end thereof.

Said head, as will be seen, is formed of two pieces of metal suitably riveted together, and

between which are placed washers 3 and 4., thus forming a recess, in which the blade 5 is pivoted. To the outer end of said blade is attached a wire connection 6, the lower end of which is in like manner attached to an operating-handle 7. From the above connections it will be apparent that the blade is operated by said handle, and by reason of such operation great strain is thrown upon the handle adjustment to the head. The two sides of the'upper end of the handle are beveled down to the tip, as fully'appe'ars in Fig. 2, and said handle is also provided with a central slit 8, which is formed by running a saw therein to aproper depth,care being taken to cut the lower end of said slit on an angle to form a shoulder, as shown at 9 in Fig. 3. Said handle is also provided with rivet-holes, as shown, any number of which can be used. Within the slit 8 is inserted a strengtheningstrip 10 of steel, as shown in Fig. 4, the lower end thereof being beveled, as at 11, to snugly fit against the shoulder 9. Sai'd strip is fur ther provided with rivet-holes 12, properly located to register with the holes in the handle. The upper end of this strip is finallyprovided with a semicircular recess 13, into which the washer 4. of the head rests.

It is important that the shoulder 9 in the handle should slope to the back, as shown in the drawings, and that the shoulder of metal piece 10 should be out upon a corresponding angle and snugly fit thereto, so as to materially assist in receiving the strain upon the handle. The riveted washer 4 within the head is designed to be seated in the semicircular recess 13, and when therein serves as a shoulder in somewhat the same manner as the shoulder 9. It also serves to rigidly extend the handle well up into the head, so as to leave no Weakness at the point of connection.

In assembling the tool the attendant first drops the metallic strip 10 into the slot of the handle, allowing the former to settle well into the latter, insuring the engagement of bevel 11 with shoulder 9. He would next place the head 2 over the said handle in a manner to seat the washer 4 into the recess 13 and also to register the rivet-holes of the head with those of the handle. This being done the strip within the head is properly centered and the rivets can be readily inserted, after which they are headed and the operation completed.

It will be obvious that owing to the construction and particular application of the tool the operation of severing a twig has'a tendency to draw the head to the right, (see Fig. 4,) and, further, that said tendency is amply provided for by the specially-designed steel strip and shoulders formed thereon, together with the riveted connection with the handle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a toolhandle having a central slotformed therein the lower end of which is out upon an angle forming a straight shoulder and sloping to the back, a flat metal strip adapted to fit into said slot and having a bevel end to fit against the shoulder aforesaid rivets passing through said handle and strip, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a handle having a slot formed therein the lower end of which is out upon an angle sloping to the back and forming a shoulder, a fiat metal dle, a semicircular recess in the upper end of said strip to be engaged by the lug upon the head of said tool, means for securing said i strip in said position, substantially as do.- scribed. r Signed at Oakville, in the county of Lite]:-

field and State of Connecticut, this 3d day of February, A. D. 1897.

WILLIAM H. SMITH. Witnesses: I

CHAS. I-I. DoUGLAss, FRANK S. R. DOUGLASS. 

